Why I Love Having a Nine Month Old

It goes without saying that I love my baby. I spent my entire life imaging her, 9 months baking her and now 9 months teaching, caring and providing for her. She is the light of my life - the reason I wake in the morning (and sometimes at 2am). She is my perfect little munchkin.

But that's not why I'm writing today.

I don't like writing when I'm not inspired to say something. I tried keeping a journal numerous  times as a child and subsequently wound up with several severely abbreviated journal.

Any way, today I feel inclined to express a few very specific reasons why I love having not just a baby, but an 9 month old baby.

At first arrival of this sleepy miniature clone, most moms  are both too tired and sore to really admit to the downfalls of a brand new pup. (The sleepless nights, the mystery crying, the lack of intimacy  with the your man, etc). On most days, you're happy just to get a gassy and a nap out of the bundle.

In short, it's hard.

But then they grow and, boy, is it awesome.

Odly specific reason why I love my 9 month old:

1- She violently splashes throughout the entirety of her bath.

2 - She spontaneously  pounces on her toys after a good minute long mad-dogging session.

3 - She literally says "ha ha" in a short,  monotone voice when something pleases her.

4 - She loves to eat cheese. Cheese on everything, cheese on nothing, cheese for desert, etc.

5 - Nothing is of limits to her. She will get into everything. Tasmanian devil, this one....

6 - She's experiencing everything for the first time and I get to experience that with her. I am truly privileged.

7 - She's kind of a dare devil.

8 - She is super clingy with me around strangers, unless we're at the grocery store. A woman actually pulled up next to my car as we were leaving the grocer, rolled down her window and shouted good bye to R. They had met in the check out line ;)

9 - Her smile actually melts me.  And she smiles all the time,  so I've basically been a puddle for 9 months.

10 - I love her. It's not a love I've ever known before. So thank you, baby, for giving me that.

There's about billion other things I could list, but what's the point? She's pretty awesome and I think that about sums it up!

All my love,

J